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| Terminally ill inmates may be released; savings cited |
| By Jackson Clarion Ledger |
| Published: 08/02/2004 |
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As many as 20 terminally ill convicts in Mississippi, including some serving life sentences, could be released from prison based on a new law officials say could eventually save taxpayer money. Mississippi Department of Corrections officials believe most of the prisoners, who are in the end stages of diseases, such as cancer and lung disease, will be bedridden, too sick for the remainder of their lives to cause harm. The release of 20 inmates could reduce the MDOC's tight budget by about $400,000 in one year, including housing and medical costs. But it could be a couple of years before the new law makes a substantial difference. The burden for most patients still will fall on taxpayers. Most, if not all, of those released would qualify for other government assistance programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid. The terminally ill inmate eligible for release must have served a year and can't be a sex offender. The release will work the same as a parole. The inmate can be brought back to prison if he or she commits a crime. MDOC physicians' recommendations will be forwarded to Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps for the final decision. Epps said he didn't know if the number of inmates released would reach as high as 20. He's evaluating six cases, he said. Victims' families will be notified before a decision is made, he said. Epps said Mississippi released 20 inmates in the 1990s under a similar program. There were no problems from those released, he said. All have since died. |
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